Your Right to Know

For the 67,000 Ohio residents with a concealed-weapons permit, crunchtime is coming.

If a bill tweaking Ohio’s conceal-carry law does not pass, thousands of residents will have to
take “ competency training” upon the second renewal of their licenses. At this time, there is
no standard for what such a test would require.

The first batch of licenses expires in April, and permit holders are required to re-apply 90
days in advance. After several hours of debate, House Bill 495 was passed 10-5 in committee and
sent to the House floor yesterday.

While some legislators argued competency with a weapon requires regular checks, others contended
that — like drivers and their licenses — gun owners do not need refresher courses.

“Shooting is a lot like riding a bicycle,” said Louis Williams, a Cincinnati firearms
instructor. “You never forget the basics.”

This is the second time in the past year that legislators have sought to ease restrictions on
concealed-firearms permit holders. In the fall, a bill passed allowing concealed weapons into
bars.

The bill also targets part of the law in which a loaded magazine outside a gun falls under the
definition of a “loaded weapon.” While it would take mere seconds to load the magazine into the
gun, the provision could be unfair for out-of-state drivers who might not be familiar with the
policy, which is one of the strictest in the country, according to Scott Kappas, author of an
annual publication on firearm laws in all 50 states.

The bill also would honor concealed-gun permits from states recognizing Ohio’s concealed-gun
permits. Currently, the attorney general must approve such reciprocity.

Yesterday, pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms
Association gave testimony in support of the bill. Anti-gun groups such as the Coalition Against
Gun Violence and law-enforcement groups such as the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the
Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio opposed the bill.

“The focus gets totally off,” said Toby Hoover, executive director of the Coalition Against Gun
Violence, shortly before the bill was passed in committee. “It should not be about the easiest way
to carry a gun but the safety of our families.”

But proponents of the bill argued that easing restrictions would not necessarily lead to blood
in the streets.

“The proposed changes will not increase violent crime or risk of violence,” said Jeff Monroe,
president of southwest Ohio firearm outfitter 22three. He also has experience as a professor and
researcher on gun control and the relationship to violent crime. “It will, however, bring a bit of
common sense to Ohio’s concealed-carry laws.”

Rep. Ron Gerberry, D-Youngtown, said his main problem with the bill was how little time it was
up for discussion in light of the many arguments for and against it.

“We are moving forward very quickly,” Gerberry said. “I am very concerned this could have been
done better, should have been done better for the people of this state.”